Coke Zero tips off drinkable advertising campaign at NCAA

Atlanta: Coca-Cola Zero™ is debuting a first-of-its-kind marketing campaign during the NCAA Men’s Final Four in Indianapolis, Indiana. Those who are “open to try” the delicious and refreshing zero-calorie taste of Coke Zero will have numerous avenues to try Coke Zero.

The most literal manifestation of Coke Zero’s drinkable advertising campaign is a 23,000-pound, 26-by-36 foot drinkable billboard located at March Madness Music Festival in White River State Park in Indianapolis. For sports enthusiasts, that means the billboard is about the same height as two-and-a-half basketball hoops or three power forwards. The billboard appears to magically dispense ice-cold Coke Zero from a massive contour bottle through 4,500 feet of straw tubing that spells out “Taste It” before carrying the caramel-colored liquid to a free sampling station on the ground.

Coke Zero’s drinkable advertising will also come to life in broadcast, print, retail and out-of-home during NCAA Men’s Final Four weekend in support of its status as the Official Fan Refreshment of the NCAA.

“This campaign is based on the simple insight that many people think they know the taste of Coke Zero, but they actually don’t,” said Racquel Mason, Vice President, Coca-Cola North America. “Drinkable advertising is an innovative approach to removing barriers and making it ridiculously easy for those who are open to try Coke Zero to enjoy it in fun and unique ways.”

Additional drinkable campaign elements will include:

Drinkable Commercial — Thirsty? Shazam to try Coke Zero. During the broadcast spot, viewers will watch as refreshing Coke Zero is poured from a glass contour bottle followed by a prompt to Shazam. They will then watch the experience migrate seamlessly from their TV to their mobile device as the Coke Zero continues to pour within the Shazam app until the glass is full, ultimately revealing a mobile coupon to redeem for a free 20-ounce bottle of Coke Zero at a participating retailer location. The Drinkable Commercial will air during national broadcasts of both semifinal games Saturday, April 4, on TBS, and the national championship game, Monday, April 6, on CBS.

Drinkable Stadium HD Video Boards – Using the same technology as the drinkable commercial, drinkable videos will play on the HD Video Boards in Lucas Oil Stadium offering thousands of spectators the chance to simultaneously receive a coupon for a free Coke Zero on their mobile devices that can be redeemed at a participating retailer. These drinkable ads will air during the semifinal and national championship games at Lucas Oil Stadium, as well as the Coke Zero Countdown Concert at White River State Park.

Drinkable Challenge at Coke Zero™ Countdown Concert – Throughout the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Coke Zero has encouraged rival fans to be open to try being frenemies. At the Coke Zero Countdown Concert on Saturday, selected frenemies from opposing Final Four teams will go toe-to-toe by using the microphone in their smartphone as a straw to see who can finish their bottle of Coke Zero from two digital screens near the concert stage. The winner will earn free Coke Zero for their team’s fans in the audience.

Drinkable Interactive Mall Kiosks – We’re turning a simple Kiosk into a drinkable experience at Circle Centre Mall in downtown Indianapolis. By “Shazaming” the ad, a phone becomes a straw that people can then use to “drink” the liquid on screen. Once the bottle is empty, the user will receive a code to redeem for a free Coke Zero at an exclusive vending machine, located on the first floor of the mall at the Washington and Illinois Street entrance.

Drinkable Flyers – Coke Zero will deliver an innovative flyer that easily becomes a straw, giving any event-goer the perfect tool for trying out Coke Zero. All they have to do is pull the straw away from the page and take the coupon on the flyer to a participating concession stand inside the Lucas Oil Stadium. There, they can redeem the coupon for a Coke Zero by simply presenting their coupon when ordering and enjoy the Coke Zero using the straw provided.

Vending Machine Mascots — No need to approach these vending machines — these vending machines will approach you! Throughout Indianapolis, people dressed in what appear to be authentic Coke Zero vending machines will randomly reward passersby with free Coke Zero…and some entertainment.

“Our drinkable advertising is about less talk and more proof. We’ve created numerous opportunities for college basketball fans in Indianapolis and at home to experience the delicious refreshing taste of Coke Zero,” Mason added.

Coke Zero’s drinkable advertising campaign was developed in partnership with Ogilvy & Mather New York, one of the largest marketing communications agencies in the world. This is the first execution from Coke Zero’s newest agency partner that introduces pioneering creative execution to drive immediate trial for the billion dollar brand. IMG LIVE and fabricator, Specialized Mobile Exhibits (SME), collaborated with the agency to produce Coke Zero’s drinkable billboard experience.

More information on activities planned by the NCAA and The Coca Cola Company during the NCAA Men’s Final Four can be found at www.ncaa.com/final-four.